Deutsche Bahn (DB) is extending the pre-booking period for train tickets. From October 16th, customers can book their tickets up to 12 months in advance instead of the current six.
The change is set to kick in on the day that the winter timetable is announced, allowing customers to potentially pre-book journeys for any winter and spring vacations they may have in mind for the coming year.
The extension of the pre-booking window is one of several measures with which DB hopes to increase the attractiveness of its long-distance transport.
This year has been difficult for the state-owned company to say the least.
Long-distance rail travel has been hampered by strikes, extreme weather events and the ailing infrastructure, Michael Peterson, a Deutsche Bahn board member, told German news agency DPA, adding "We have lost trust among our guests as a result."
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Current punctuality "extremely bitter"
DB saw an increase in passenger demand in 2023, but that demand has waned this year in response to an increase in the number of disruptions experienced across the rail network.
In August, punctuality in long-distance traffic was 60.6 percent - an "extremely bitter figure", according to Peterson.
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By 2027, DB expects punctuality to recover to more than 75 percent. A figure that still pales in comparison to the rail services in many of Germany's neighbour countries. But for passengers in Germany it would be a marked improvement.
"The basic prerequisite for this is a functioning infrastructure," Peterson said.
This is to be renovated in many places in the coming years, with the focus on 41 particularly important corridors.
More Sprinter connections from December
Peterson also said there will be an expansion of the long-distance services in the coming years.
According to Peterson, the timetable for 2025 will include slightly more Sprinter connections, i.e. ICE journeys with limited stops between the start and end stations.
"By December 2026, 20 major German cities will be connected to nationwide long-distance traffic with an ICE connection every half hour," Peterson said.
More international trips are also planned in the medium term, which come in response to customer demand.
From mid-December, for example, there will be a new direct connection from Berlin to the French capital Paris. The journey time is expected to be around eight hours.
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